‘I just have a good feel about the place’: A decade later, can Jordan Spieth do it again?

Jon Rahm's switch to Callaway received most of the early-week equipment buzz at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, but two of the game's biggest names also have new gear in play. Both Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas are using new drivers this week at Kapalua. They're paired together Thursday in the day's final group, which will tee off at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Johnson, the reigning FedExCup champion, has put TaylorMade's new SIM2 driver (10.5 degrees) in the bag this week. The club will have his trusted Fujikura Speeder 661 X shaft. Johnson also is adding the SIM2 HL 3-wood (16.5 degrees) with a Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X shaft. Johnson found higher ball speeds with the new driver, but most noticeably more forgiveness across the face. "I’m going to play the new SIM2 this week. ... I really like it," Johnson told reporters about the SIM2 driver. "I think it looks great, it’s got a great feel. ... I’m always looking for more distance and more consistency. But the one I’m playing right now seems to be working pretty well." While we don't have any technical details on the new SIM2, it hit the USGA's conforming list last week and seeding (the process of putting the club in TOUR players' hands) began this week. TaylorMade looks to have upgraded the original SIM design by moving more weight to the perimeter of the club, including a heavy rear weight for a higher momentum of inertia (and greater forgiveness) and higher launch. Additionally, the weight track of SIM has been replaced by a new structure. It was also announced Thursday that Johnson, who has used TaylorMade equipment since turning pro, has signed a long-term extension with the company. Thomas has a new driver after recently changing balls, as well. He started using the new ProV1x late last year to add height to his iron shots. He put the ball in play at the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN, where he finished T12. "I was trying to get a little bit more height on the ball, trying to be able to hold greens a little bit better when they get firm or with long irons," said Thomas, who led the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach last season. Thomas was a little later to the party in terms of getting into the new Titleist TSi3 driver but seems to have found a combo that works. The biggest issue for Thomas at the tail end of last year was spin off the lower-launching TSi3 head. After some testing with Titleist Tour Rep JJ VanWezenbeeck, they settled on the higher-launching Fujikura Ventus Red 6 X. This combo not only increased ball speed by 4 mph (175 to 179 mph) but also kept launch the same and only dropped spin down 200 RPM (2,300 to 2,100). Previous combos found spin dropping sub-2,000, which was a non-starter for Thomas. He is using a 9-degree head in the driver. "The big improvement for Justin with TSi is the increase in ball speed," VanWezenbeeck said. "His ball speeds were up at least a couple miles per hour versus his TS3, and with the new shaft we were able to dial in his launch and spin and get him that ball flight that he loves to see and gives him the most confidence." The difference in the TSi3 versus Thomas' TS3 can be done by honing in on the "i" in the new club's name. GolfWRX's Ryan Barath says, "Engineers spent a huge amount of time figuring out a way to make the drivers more stable higher and lower on the face ... to create smaller launch windows and greater spin robustness, (which) creates more consistent numbers and smaller standard deviation from optimal conditions. "… According to Titleist, the TSi2 has an improved high/low inertia of 13%, while the TSi3 comes in at 10%. In the world of engineering, single percent advancements are considered a big step so for Titleist to hit double digits on both products should be considered a big leap."

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The PGA TOUR and DemandScience, a global B2B data company that partners with customers to upgrade their sales pipelines, today announced a multi-year partnership naming DemandScience the “Official B2B Sales Pipeline Generation Sponsor of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions” through 2026. DemandScience branding will be integrated across key broadcast segments during NBC Sports coverage of The Honda Classic, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Valspar Championship, WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play, Valero Texas Open, BMW Championship and TOUR Championship. DemandScience will activate this new relationship by having a presence in programming throughout PGA TOUR media properties, aligning with PGA TOUR players and hosting customers at PGA TOUR events. “We’re excited to welcome DemandScience and its global B2B expertise to the PGA TOUR,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Marketing & Corporate Partnerships. “We’re thrilled with DemandScience’s commitment to First Tee and growing the sport of golf.” DemandScience Chair and CEO Peter Cannone said, “Joining the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions as an Official Marketing Partner brings the DemandScience brand in front of the most valuable audience in sports. The PGA TOUR audience of B2B sales and marketing professionals and C-suite decision-makers are a perfect match with our customer base.” “This is a natural partnership for us. Every golfer knows the importance of having the right data at the right time in order to succeed – and that’s what we do for our customers every day,” Cannone concluded. Demand Science will also be a Trustee of First Tee, a youth development organization supported by the TOUR. With programs in all 50 states and select international locations, First Tee has empowered millions of kids and teen to build their strength of character through golf.

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Professional golfer Justin Rose and his wife, Kate Rose, have announced a $1 million donation to the Blessings in a Backpack Orlando chapter to help feed elementary school children who might otherwise go hungry on the weekend. This donation from the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation will go on to immediately feed 1,000 children, and help enhance the food bags they are given. The newly announced donation will also help start a match program for the Orlando nonprofit, founded in May 2020, to get volunteers on board to start new programs for the organization. The gift has been set up to have maximum immediate impact on feeding children, while also creating sustainability for the organization. This $1 million donation is in addition to their original gift of $1.15 million to found the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation Chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, Orlando, affectionately known as ‘Rose Blessings Orlando'. WHAT: Kate & Justin Rose Foundation $1 Million Donation to Orlando Nonprofit WHO: Interview with Kate Rose (by appointment), board members and/or volunteers who have seen the impact firsthand. WHEN: Interested media members should contact Joe Culotta to set up an interview. WHERE: Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, interviews will only be available through Zoom. More about the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation's Connection with Blessings in a Backpack … Feeding hungry tummies and curious minds is what the Kate and Justin Rose Foundation is all about. Its focus is on a three prong approach to improving children's lives by providing nutritional support, funding education and providing ‘first exposure' positive life experiences for children. Through nutrition, the Foundation teamed up with Blessings in a Backpack beginning in 2009 to provide weekend nutrition to children who would otherwise go hungry. Their support has grown over the years, ultimately providing more than 500,000 hunger-free weekends to more than 15,000 children over the course of 11 years. Seeing what a huge impact they have had on feeding food-insecure children in Orlando, they put more resources behind their ongoing efforts. A gift of $1.15 million was made in 2019 to found an official chapter of Blessings in a Backpack in Orlando, the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation Chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, affectionately known as ‘Rose Blessings Orlando', to ensure sustainability and to reach their goal of feeding 16,000 children by 2030. Because of the increased need due to COVID-19 and the success the Orlando Chapter has had in reaching children, the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation has agreed to invest an additional $1 million to feed 1,000 more Orlando-area children immediately, to create a matching gift pool for grassroots/volunteer-led programs, and to accelerate their goal of feeding 16,000 children. About Blessings in a Backpack Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. As closures caused by COVID-19 lead to a rise in unemployment and poverty, it is projected that 18 MILLION CHILDREN* are experiencing food insecurity. That's one in four American children who may be struggling with access to food. The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs. We want to make sure they're getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too, so that they can show up for school on Monday nourished and ready to learn. For more information, please visit Orlando.blessingsinabackpack.org.

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